These burly and strong men all bowed their hands to Master Cao in a respectful manner.
"Coffinmaker Cao, it's almost time. Should we prepare to go to Duan's house in Zhenbei to carry the coffin?"
Uh...we've been doing this for a long time. Are they friendly forces?
Master Cao smiled and nodded: "Not bad, Daniel, everything is ready. I have brought the dragon rope and phoenix stick. Then I only brought the dragon bones and dragon roots. Come, let's get to know my little brother."
After saying that, he reached out to the side and tried to pull me over, but his hand came up empty.
When I turned around, I found myself beside a new coffin in the back, awkwardly walking towards the door.
"Eh? Xiao Wu, you were standing next to me just now, how could you run so far behind in the blink of an eye?"
I'm a little embarrassed.
He scratched his head and answered honestly: "Oh, I saw these big brothers were so aggressive just now. I thought they were here to cause trouble. I just wanted to find a chance to run away."
Master Cao and the strong men were stunned for a moment, and then laughed!
Especially the leader named Daniel was laughing so hard that he covered his belly. But I can also feel that they are smiling kindly, not mockingly.
After laughing, Daniel also said that I am an upright person, so I can say whatever I want.
So, Master Cao took a big stick and asked me to help him get a pole - the same pole that he used to chase the female ghost Lu Sui not long ago, and set off with these men.
It was late at night and the streets were silent.
Not to mention people, not even a ghost can be seen!
Occasionally there are a few wild cats and dogs digging for food in the trash cans. He grinned when he saw us passing by.
But Daniel and the others also bared their teeth at them, and these beasts were so frightened that they fled in all directions.
Master Cao explained to me that because Daniu and the others have been helping him carry the coffin all year round, they have strong evil spirits and strong Yang fire. The breath can deter evil things like wild cats.
Along the way, he also introduced me to some jargon, rules and taboos about carrying coffins...
For example, the keel they talk about actually refers to the middle beam that lifts the coffin - it is the most important and strongest. All tools are centered around the keel.
In addition, there are two beams - the so-called dragon roots.
The Jiao is smaller than the dragon and plays the role of assisting in balancing the coffin beside the beam.
The phoenix root is actually a pole placed on the shoulders of the coffin bearer. As for the dragon rope, it is the hemp rope that Daniel and others wrap around their waists. It is mainly used to wrap and fix the dragon bones, dragon roots, etc.
Except for the dragon root, which is provided by the owner of the deceased, the rest of the items are basically brought by the coffin bearers themselves - because they are easier to use after using them for a long time.
And I personally guess that there may be some unique secrets and special abilities!
For example, Master Cao's phoenix root (pole) can be used by himself to fight ghosts. It can be seen that it is definitely not an ordinary carrying pole, but something similar to a magic weapon...
In addition, there are some rules for carrying coffins. They are too many and complicated, and I keep them all in mind. I won’t go into details one by one.
Not long after, we left the town and headed north.
The Duan family that needs to carry the coffin tonight is considered a relatively well-known wealthy family in Lianghe Town.
As early as more than ten years ago, in the mid-to-late 1980s, we started the orchard planting business.
The Duan family gathered up all the fields of nearby farmers and contracted them to make a large area. More than a dozen hills near Lianghe Town are their orchards.
It is said that they also bought houses in the county and even the main city!
For someone like me, even though my parents loved me since childhood, they didn't lack for food and clothing. But even if I buy a house in Lianghe Town, I don’t dare to think about it, let alone the county seat or even the main city.
The current head of the Duan family is named Duan Ren. He is over sixty years old, his wife has died long ago, and he has three sons and a daughter.
The eldest and second child are already married, while the third child and the youngest daughter are not married.
Duan Ren is the kind of traditional parent who hopes that the entire family will live together.
So I bought a large piece of land at the foot of a mountain in the northern suburbs of Lianghe Town. Then a large villa was built, which is somewhat similar to a small manor.
People in the town call it the Duan Family Mansion.
Although it is Master Cao who makes the decision on the coffin-carrying business in Lianghe Town, it is usually Daniel and the others who are responsible for taking over the work outside.
So Daniel gave us an overview of the situation while walking.
"The coffin to be carried today belongs to the youngest daughter of the Duan family. It is said that she accidentally drowned by the river three days ago. Boss Duan was very sad and had a funeral at home. He also specially asked Mr. Yuan Fei, a famous Taoist priest nearby, to perform rituals. I chose a geomantic treasure land and prepared to bury him tonight.”
"When Mr. Yuan came over to perform the ceremony the day before yesterday, I also went to the scene to see it. There were no big problems, the process was smooth, and there were no unexpected incidents. Miss Duan probably drowned accidentally. So it was relatively simple to carry the coffin this time. .”
Another honest-looking man next to him, nicknamed Ergou, also nodded and agreed with a smile.
"And Boss Duan is so generous. He actually offered to give us a total of 8,000 yuan after carrying her daughter's coffin and burying her. This is much more than usual."
Eight thousand!
When I heard this amount, I was shocked.
My head is buzzing.
That was 1999!
Not to mention a small place like our town of Lianghe, I watched TV news and said that even urban workers in the capital only earn an average salary of 8,000 yuan a year.
It’s just a coffin lift, so the money is so good, right?
Although it is said that Daniu and the others, including Master Cao, will share the eight thousand among the five of them. That's a lot.
I was shocked by the amount of money here, but after hearing this, Master Cao was not happy but worried.
He frowned: "Boss Duan is a native of Lianghe Town, so he should be very clear about these customs and prices. Generally, it costs one thousand yuan to carry a coffin. If it is more difficult, it only costs two to three thousand." Eight thousand is too much money, and I feel a little uneasy."
"Everyone knows that Boss Duan loves his little daughter and hopes that we will give her a good ride, so how much should we give her?"
Daniel replied.
He went to the scene to see Miss Duan's body and the decoration of the mourning hall, and felt that there was nothing wrong with it.
Master Cao nodded: "Well, maybe I'm overthinking it. Maybe it's Boss Duan who is really generous. He is the big boss after all."
After crossing the stone arch bridge in the north of the town, we arrived at the outskirts of the town. Walking along a cement road that winds upward, there are dilapidated bungalows on both sides. Many of them were even left over from the Republic of China, and there are still normal people living inside.
After going around a few bends, the view suddenly opened up.
Under the hazy moonlight, I could see an open space at the foot of the mountain not far ahead, and a small four-story foreign-style building built against the mountain. It's also the only place with light around here.
"Well, that's the Duan family mansion. It's coming soon."
Daniel also pointed to a narrower concrete road extending from the highway: "Originally, that area was all fields. Boss Duan spent his own money to build a road and connected it to the main road. Their family has a car."
In those days, very few people owned cars!
I don’t know why, but when I first looked at it, I felt that the feng shui of this mansion was a bit weird.
But for a while, I couldn't tell what the problem was.
Maybe it’s because I’ve only been studying for two months, or maybe it’s because it’s dark and I can’t see the terrain pattern of the surrounding mountains, rivers, and rivers.
When I walked to the door of the Duan family mansion, I saw the outermost iron door open, and a vermilion red coffin parked in the center of the spacious yard.
The coffin was open and not yet sealed. There is an incense table in front, with incense candles, paper money and other items placed on it.
White cloths were hung under the eaves and walls all around, and some relatives of the Duan family were walking back and forth, presumably to help. But he didn't speak much. The whole mourning hall gave people a very depressing feeling.
I saw a man wearing a square crown and brown linen clothes standing at the door of the villa talking to an old man with a majestic appearance.
The old man has gray hair and a haggard face. He should be Boss Duan.
There were three young and middle-aged men of different ages next to him, probably his three sons.
At this time, Boss Duan also noticed us.
Then he cupped his hands in this direction: "Master Cao, you're going to have a hard time tonight."
"Boss Duan, you're welcome!"
After Master Cao returned the gift, he looked at the Taoist priest in sackcloth next to him: "Are you ready, Mr. Yuan?"
It turns out that this is Yuan Fei, a famous Taoist priest nearby.
He replied: "Don't worry, Master Cao, everything is going well. I just need to trouble you and Daniel to carry Miss Duan's coffin out of the main entrance, and then follow the west path directly up the mountain. The Golden Phoenix Spreading Wings Point I chose for Miss Duan is here Halfway up the hillside of the Wang family’s high slope.”
good!
Lao Cao nodded, feeling that this gentleman was reliable in his work.
Golden Phoenix Spreading Wings Cave?
Although I have just read 20 or 30 pages of Master's "Burial Sutra", it happened to mention the Feng Shui pattern of this kind of tomb house, and I probably still remember some of it.
He thought to himself: "This Feng Shui pattern is indeed quite good. People who drowned generally have water-yin souls. Especially women, the yin energy is heavier. The golden phoenix spreading its wings takes the meaning of the phoenix bird running towards the sun, and the yin and yang are harmonious. You can also overlook the Chuanjiang River in front. Feng Shui circulates, so it is a good place.”
The things Master taught me must be very profound.
And this Taoist priest named Yuan can also make such a choice, which shows that he does have a few brushes and his reputation is not in vain.
"Okay, Master Cao and Mr. Yuan, you guys have a rest. When the time comes, prepare to seal the coffin, then carry the coffin and take the little girl on the road."
Boss Duan said, his eyes turning red again. It is indeed sad for a white-haired person to send a black-haired person away.
Just then, suddenly!
Meow! ! !
From somewhere in the yard, a sharp and piercing meow of a wild cat came, which was very penetrating.
My eyelids twitched.
With so many people helping to watch, why are there still wild cats in the yard? !
Before I could react, I saw a black image springing out of the grass like lightning and swooping across the crowd. Jumped on the head of the coffin that had not yet been sealed!
Make a "boom" sound.
It was a skinny black cat with sinister eyes, squatting on the head of the coffin.
I was shocked.
Lao Cao and Mr. Yuan next to him had already exclaimed in unison.
"Stop that black cat! Don't let it jump into the coffin. Otherwise, it will shock the body."
